Posted on September 5, 2001 at 1:20 p.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) has been awarded a $3.5 million contract from the Office of Naval Research to establish a vectored vaccine laboratory. Research done in the laboratory will focus on the development of "needleless" vaccination methods. U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus helped UAB secure the contract.

"By supporting this pioneering research at UAB, we can revolutionize the way vaccines are given. We can eliminate the need for needles and syringes and the accompanying pain. We can take a giant step toward solving the problem of medical waste disposal. And all this research could someday lead to the increased use of vaccines to immunize everyone — especially children and the elderly — from deadly and debilitating diseases," Bachus said.

The new laboratory will be directed by De-chu Tang, Ph.D., a faculty member of the department of dermatology, the Gene Therapy Center and the Comprehensive Cancer Center. His scientific research led to the formation of the company Vaxin, Inc., in 1997. He is now vice president and chief technical officer of the company, which has licensed the new technology. Last year, Tang was honored as the recipient of the prestigious Coulter Award as innovator of the year.

The laboratory will continue Tang's development of a painless method of protecting against infectious diseases. His system works by applying a synthetic virus to the skin surface and then covering it with a protective patch. The technology has the potential to save countless military lives by its ease of use in the field; it should not require refrigeration or skilled personnel to administer.

"The skin is a constant mobilized biological army poised on the border to prevent infection," Tang said. "We found that the skin gives us a potent immune response without the necessity of penetration."

Vaxin has developed experimental vaccines against influenza, tetanus and breast cancer. Several vaccines under development are of interest to the military to protect personnel and travelers. These new projects include research on topical vaccines for malaria, dengue fever, tetanus and rabies.